There’s a rugged patch of the high Latin American Andes which is an enigmatic treat, steeped in Catholic mystery, fables, prophecy and art. Yet the Conceptionist convent on the beautiful streets of Quito, Ecuador, remains an unfamiliar pilgrimage destination across much of the Anglosphere. It is central to the story of Mother Mariana, a woman who was regarded as saintly even while she lived. Born in Spain, she embarked on the journey halfway across the world to found a convent in the newly formed Audiencia of the Viceroyalty of Peru in 1579.